Thursday, December 20, 2012

Bedroom Makeover: Holiday 2012

Happy Thursday and can you believe it: Christmas is only five days away! I hope you are almost done with shopping for gifts, company's functions, and have a special cozy spot at home to unwind from all the hustle and bustle that comes with the holidays. For me, my bedroom is my private retreat after a long day at work, store events/visits: a place where I can just kick up my feet and simply do nothing if my heart desires.

I tend not to go overboard with holiday decoration when it comes to my bedroom. After all, this is the spot where I come for a quiet moment, to stay away from "Christmas". However, I still want a touch of holiday spirit in the space while I enjoy my caramel brulee latte on Tuesday morning. How are you doing in the decorating department? I am still decorating my place for Christmas (you can have a look at my place from Christmas 2011 here), and today I would like to show you how to create a serene, restful, and festive bedroom with a sophisticated black & white color palette and hints of citrus yellow and minty green for good measure.

When asked to describe my ideal Christmas, the three words came to my minds were: whimsical, magical, and Michael Buble! If you have been reading my blog, you know I love polka dots. It is such a classic and whimsical pattern you can use to instantly add style and cheer to any spaces. In my case, it is on my duvet cover (from West Elm) and a pillow case from marimekko. For a dramatic and magical touch, nothing beats a sumptuous white feather headdress (available at snob). This African handcrafted creation has the power to immediately transform any white wall into a gallery worthy focal point.

I am a sucker for good old Christmas songs and was delighted last year that Mr. Buble came out with a holiday collection. Here comes the fun part: instead of using a regular speaker, why not bring the Christmas classics to live with this smartly designed Phonofone by Science and Sons. Made with ceramic and designed to function as an amplifier, this sleek "speaker" combines the best of old (classic style) and new (modern technology). Best of all, the Phonefone III is designed to be portable and no electricity is required. Do you see this in your next garden party? I DO!

Fully aware of the fact that I have dozens of pillow cases jam-packed in my closet, I have limited my pillow creation for the season to four only (2 for the bedroom and 2 for the living room). The super talented and oh-so-resourceful Janine of Tonic Living came to the rescue when I told her I needed two pillow cases with secret gate on one side and ikat polka dot on the other. These pillows look sensational next to the ultra chic black & white beddings and the antler pillow I picked up from the One of a Kind Show last year.

Inspired by the designer stocking by Staci, I decided to custom my first-ever stocking for this Christmas. Yes, I have never had a christmas stocking in my life ... can you believe it? For those of you who want to DIY your own stocking in a couple of hours, here is what you need: a template for the stocking, a few of your favourite fabrics (in my case, peacock from Dwell Studio, polka dot from Designer Fabric, and organic wool from pi'lo), and a felt mistletoe ornament from West Elm for extra sweetness. I think the result is quite remarkable and I'm loving it!

Of course I also added a touch of nature via fresh blooms and natural scents from these branches with silver berries in my serene, elegant bedroom.

Before I let your all go back to last minute holiday shopping, here are two of my favourite shots from the photo shoot. What do you think? Which of these images/ decor elements are your favourite?

I really like the custom stocking you made, Tim. Peacock is one of my favourite fabrics too, and I was thinking of getting a Secret Gate pillow to go with the Emperor's Garden pillow. I love how you balance the soft and the masculine elements in your bedroom decor...the result is impeccable. Well done! Merry Christmas!